Retrospective Evaluation of the Complications and Risk Factors Related to Cardiac Catheterization: Single Center Experience

Cardiac catheterization is an invasive procedure that carries the risk of life-threatening complications. The aim of our study is to evaluate the risk factors and complications of cardiac catheterization procedures performed over a 14-year period at the Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine. Complications of 2265 cardiac catheterization procedures in 1880 different patients between September 16, 1995, and December 30, 2009, along with risk factors, were evaluated. Complications occurred in 169 (7.5%) of the 2265 cardiac catheterizations. One hundred and twenty-four (5.5%) were minor and 45 (2%) were major complications. Among 1880 patients, 6 patients (0.31%) died within the first 24 hours. A statistically significant difference was observed between the type of procedure and anesthesia used when comparing minor and major complications. The overall complication rate was 12.9% in patients under one year of age, 11.3% in the cyanotic heart disease group, 8.7% in therapeutic procedures, and 10.9% in patients with a body weight of less than 10 kg. Retrospective studies examining risk factors and complications in cardiac catheterization procedures will provide insights for prospective studies.